Meth dump site found

May 11, 2013

ALPENA - The Huron Undercover Narcotics Team responded Thursday to a methamphetamine dump site along Chisholm Street near Thunder Bay River, according to a press release.

An Alpena police officer responded to a call from a resident who found some suspicious items on the river bank, according to the release. After seeing the items, the officer suspected some had been used to make methamphetamine and contacted HUNT to investigate more. HUNT detectives confirmed the items had been used to make the illicit drug, with the byproducts and components being dumped along the river bank. Methamphetamine responders from both HUNT and the Seventh District Meth Response Team responded to clean up the scene.

Police have not yet determined whether the cook took place where the components were found or if the suspect dumped the components and byproducts there. Police found glass and plastic mixing jars, coffee filters, a knife, a plastic bottle which served as the gas generator during the cooking process, plastic tubing and drain cleaner. The suspect also apparently dumped some of the hazardous liquid on the ground, where it ran down the river bank toward the river.

"This is exactly what we have been seeing at an increasing rate in our communities," HUNT Commander Frank Keck said in the release. "This dump site is a well-traveled area where people walk and fish, and someone still dumped their meth components here, and possibly dumped these toxins into our river system. The call to 911 by a citizen and the observations made by the APD police officer to recognize this as more than just a littering complaint are outstanding, and go a long way towards protecting our community. HUNT has been providing methamphetamine awareness training for several months to area departments, citizens and special interest groups throughout our community, and hopefully this is a result of that training."

Anyone with knowledge of illegal narcotics activity can report it at HUNT's website, www.huntteam.net, or by calling 1-800-573-DRUG.